Viewpoint: my feet, from the podiatrist’s chair. After supporting me so faithfully for so many decades, the right and the left ones both show signs of wear and tear. Like my old Subaru, they need regular maintenance, and then some. But today, for some reason, I really looked at them stretched out there in front of me, and frankly? I was horrified.

It was kind of like they’re screaming out to me, Let us go! Let us out! These Nu-Balance walking shoes, touted as the last word in sturdy support when I bought them, suddenly looked like they were holding my poor feet in prison cells. And for all the good support, their stiff unyielding construction feels like prison, too.

Nobody ever got to be Miss America because of her beautiful feet, but even so, my poor feet, long and bony, with their corns and bunions and hammertoes, are kind of disgusting even to write about. In their condition, though, setting them free, really free with no shoes, would not be a kindness. Au contraire.

So where can my feet be both safe and comfortable? What are YOUR favorite shoes? How do you reward these faithful servants?

Winter is so hard on the poor feet. I always think they need to “run free” whenever
you can get away with it while rewarding them with warm soapy soaks and a deep rub of Eucerin moisturizing cream. And don’t forget to put them up, as often as possible!

Funny you posted this today, as I spent some time today at The Walking Store, after having tried out (and discarded) too many other shoes. Came away with some leather abeo aero system walking shoes, as well as a pair of more sporty, super comfy, lightweight but supportive, Ecco Biom athletic walking shoes. Am optimistic they will do the trick, as finding shoes “that walk well” has been a trick for me. Good luck! Mary

Mary, I think shoes that “walk well” are tricky to find for MANY people. They sure are for me! And when I find a pair, a few years or a few pounds more or less — and I need to find a different pair!
Ooooh, my feet, my poor, poor feet — remember the song from Most Happy Fella?
I wish you good luck with today’s purchase!

It’s a good job I hate wearing shoes, because I am almost always barefoot. Living in the sub-tropics of Queensland, Australia, allows me to do this, and as a result I have healthy feet. The only time I wear shoes is when I am going anywhere outside, away from the house.
I feel sorry for anyone having to wear shoes all the time because our feet need to feel free some of the time; it’s good for them.
I have never tried Nu Balance, but tried many others and found that Nike are my shoes of preference when I go walking, they are comfortable, flexible, and light.

It’s all that Hiking 😉 I did like New Balance trainers until I tried my hand at Tennis – for that sport I have been really pleased with a pair of Head tennis shoes. For walking shoes / boots it has to be North Face. They feel comfortable for me immediately and stay that way! They’re also very waterproof whilst still letting your feet breathe – tested on the football terraces of the Ryman league through English winters! Need to free your feet – get a pair of flip-flops (or Patta-Pattas as theyre known in Zimbabwe!). I used to find that they really hurt my big toe bones but I’ve finally found some that are comfortable from Fat Face. The secret is that the thong is made of cloth or webbing rather than being a lump of rubber or plastic!

Talk about an individualized, customized wardrobe for feet! Your lucky feet —
Haven’t heard of North Face. I like the name, I’ll check those out.
Flip flops (patta pattas, great!) no support and the pain of between the toes — but it sounds like you’ve discovered the antidote for that.

North Face do great waterproof coats too 😉 One warning about a lot of hiking shoes / boots including North Face – they use Vibram soles which are designed to grip well on rough stone or gravel. They don’t like metal drain covers and the like so watch your step on those!

Something I didn’t know — Vibram soles.
I have two pairs of hiking-type shoe boots, never used for hiking, I might add — they’re for snow around here. I’ll check out the soles. Watching our step in slippery conditions is a supreme requirement at a retirement community.

No shoes would be my choice (and my doctor’s advice as of yesterday) if it were not for our apartment’s floor getting very cold during the winter months. But with the mercury rising my feet are looking forward to running free again.
As for shoes, I try to treat my feet to the greatest possible variety: Hard leather soles of dressy shoes one day, comfy shoes the next. I also got a pair with absolutely flat heels now – and I am training to get used to them.
—-
Judith, I am glad I found this post because I began to ask myself if you resigned from blogging altogether – now I know you just seem to be flying under my reader’s radar. I’ll see what I can do about that! Cheers!

Alas, I knocked my arches out from under me with all the cement (hidden under thin carpet or tile) floors I’ve walked during a lifetime of work. I rely on the Footsmart catalog and shoes based on orthaheel technology. Merrill makes shoes I can wear, too. I have a pair of orthaheel sole inserts for every pair of shoes I own. Sigh. I even have an arch support to wear when I go barefoot (two separate episodes of plantar fasciitis are painful reminders that I can’t go completely barefoot except in ocean sand) so I’m well shod at all times.

Interesting summary, P! I can’t go barefoot either — bunions and bony feet in my case. I live with Merrells and pretty much nothing else. Never heard of the Footsmart catalog, so have to investigate it. I ditto your Sigh!!!!!!!!!!

I feel sorry and somewhat crabby about the treatment given to women’s feet: What woman-hater ever made up these fashionable shoes?! But then, of course, I have my own male fish to fry and my solution to gnarling formats is, where possible, to go barefoot. Let ’em breathe and, when possible, sing. Not always possible, I suppose, but it works for me.

What a wonderful picture you conjure up!
Hmmm, my ten bare piggy toes, caroling away — would they be more in tune? sound more like a diva and less like an underwater diver?
Somehow, I doubt it. But it’s a lovely thing to think about, so thank you!